


Starship Promise 6 (Atlas 3)

by Yoselin



Series: Starship Promise Tumblr Prompts [6]
Category: Starship Promise (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/M, Soulmate AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-26
Updated: 2018-03-26
Packaged: 2019-04-08 04:45:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14097504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yoselin/pseuds/Yoselin
Summary: Originally posted to Tumblr.Name used here is Cadey Shelley.Prompt: Atlas first-words Soulmate AU.





	Starship Promise 6 (Atlas 3)

Name used here is Cadey Shelley.   
—  
I don’t like taverns; they put me on edge. Something about the way slightly tipsy people mill around in large droves and provoke each other into arguments makes my head spin. This kind of thing isn’t my scene, but the message from the Starship crew was plain as day.   
“Meet in the Apollo Tavern at 0900.”  
I skim my fingers over the lettering on the tablet and chew on my bottom lip.   
It’s 0904 and still no sign of anyone. I get that bounty hunters aren’t exactly paragons of society, but would it kill them to be on time?   
I drum my fingers against my tablet and press my lips together tightly.   
Being out in the open is risky, any moment I could be recognized, and I would rather be cooped up in my little hideaway listening to Union drivel on Pearl’s talkie than jumping at every little noise.   
When the Union sent out the BOLO on me last week, I had hidden. Logic had told me to simply turn myself in, explain to the Union that I was a loyal citizen and would not betray my government, but instincts had driven me to the outer edge of Olympus 7 and made me hide.   
I was glad I had hid. It wasn’t until a few days ago that I had learned the Union wasn’t exactly the kind of government that was willing to listen. Had I turned myself in, I’d be stuck in some dark prison cell losing my mind.   
Not that I wasn’t losing it already.   
Another glance at my tablet reads 0910.   
I bite back a sigh.   
Ten minutes isn’t a lot of time to be late. There’s a number of rational excuses for why someone would miss the deadline by that much. Yet, my mind is on constant fight or flight. Being on the lamb does numbers on the human mind.  
As a way to pass time, I raise my coat sleeve and trace my fingers against the words engraved on them like a tattoo.   
“Oh, hell.”  
The little phrase has been on my arm for as long as I can remember. It showed up on my skin the day after I was born, according to my parents, and they refused to tell me what it had meant until I was old enough to realize what words I wasn’t allowed to repeat.   
My soulmate stamp had caused much embarrassment to my parents, but I had found some solace in it.   
Growing up in a society where soulmates were a lifeline you couldn’t escape, I had been glad to have mine. The little stamp on my hand was a promise that I wouldn’t be alone. It had put me through a lot of tough times and given me hope when I was alone in school dances or feeling lonely from seeing the couples mill about.   
I had been born with a soulmate. A soulmate. Someone who would share one of the most sacred and intimate connections with me and give me my happy ending.   
That promise filled me with more hope than what I could comprehend.   
Another glance at the clock reads 0915.   
I tap my foot against the floor and bite into the lemon slice on my water glass. My nerves are on edge, instincts on fire, and I really, desperately hope these people are showing up.   
I’ve been monitoring the Starship Promise crew for a long time now. Pearl’s radio often scans frequencies into channels broadcasting their feats. I managed to score a message with one of their members, Jaxon, two days ago.   
We traded messages back and forth before I managed to convince them to take me on. I needed a ride out of Olympus 7 and they needed credits. My balance wasn’t much, barely enough to scrape by, but Jaxon had been feeling generous and somehow managed to convince his entire crew to swing by.   
I owed their generosity a lot-  
Assuming they showed up.   
I glance at the door, still no sign of them, and pull Pearl out of my pocket. My touch awakens her and her lights blink. I tap a button at her side until she rolls into a little ball and I fidget with it.   
Why aren’t they here yet?   
My frustration is peaking and I huff out a sigh.   
It’s risky to be out this long, I really should have left long ago, and they haven’t arrived. Maybe that’s a sign.   
Tapping Pearl again so she expands back into a robot, I get up. I wave to the barkeep, set a few credits down on the counter, and spin around ready to march away.   
I make it a few steps before someone puts a hand around my shoulder. I freeze, get ready to dart away, before a grinning face and quiet laugh greets me.   
“Whoa! Easy, easy! My name is Jaxon, you’re Cadey, right?” The man smiles at me and extends his hands in mock surrender.   
Jaxon. Jaxon Silva.   
The name rings a bell in my head and I whoosh out a sigh of relief. I wrap my arms around myself and feel my body relax. Slowly, I process his words.   
“Jaxon? Yeah, I’m Cadey. What took you so long?” I tap Pearl so that she scuttles up my sleeve and away from sight.   
Jaxon glances at her, decides not to ask, and gives me an easy grin to pacify me. “Traffic at the port is terrible. The Union is really upping up the ante around here because of you.”  
I bite the inside of my cheek, relieved that my savior hadn’t stood me up, and lock my fingers tightly together in front of me.   
Jaxon eases into the chair next to me and taps his pad. Our message conversation lights up and scrolls automatically. He swipes a few slides and finds my wanted poster.   
The poster had gone live last week when the arrest warrant had been issued. My school picture was used above a price tag with so many zeroes that it made my head spin.   
I wince.   
“The Union wants you bad, Ms. Shelley. They sent out these little things to every port nearby. I can see why you want to escape Olympus 8.” His tone is teasing, light, as if he weren’t discussing my imminent imprisonment.   
I can’t bring myself to copy it.   
“7,” I correct, “and yeah...they have the wrong idea. Look, I don’t have much but I can pay. I can also work, I’m an engineer, you could use me.”  
I press my palms to the table and bite my lip. I wonder briefly if I should tell him the full extent of my skill set before Jaxon clicks his tablet off. He slips it into the back of his pocket and winks at me.   
“I already talked to my Captain about you,” he says, “and Orion, my Captain, is willing to take you to the Inner Star Systems. We were headed there anyway, there’s a bounty we’ve been planning to collect, and we figure we could shoot two birds with one stone. Your salary isn’t much, but we can make a compromise. You’re an engineer, and our ship needs an engineer to help our pilot. Fair trade, yeah?”   
Jaxon offers me a confident grin that lights his face up into something cool and comforting. I breathe a sigh of relief and nod. Gratefulness fills me and my previous tension melts away like snow in the sunlight.   
“Absolutely! I’m an expert at ships and coding. You can definitely count on me,” I state.   
Jaxon stands, grins at me, and inclines his head to the side as an indication to follow. I clamor to my feet a little too quickly and stumble.   
He opts not to acknowledge it, something I am immensely relieved by, and winks.   
“Well then, Cadey, let’s go meet the crew. They’ll want to meet our little fugitive.”

The walk to the Promise is unbearable. I keep glancing around me to see if any Union soldier is planning an ambush and nearly ram into Jaxon twice. Thankfully, like before, he chooses to ignore my clumsiness. Instead, he regales me into several little stories of the Promise crew. I listen avidly, in awe of their numerous feats, before Jaxon stops before the spaceship port.   
A large, private vessel greets us in all its splendor. I squeeze Pearl in relief.   
“Is that it?” I nod at the Promise and glance at Jaxon.   
Jaxon grins, extends his hands as if presenting something, and nods. “Yep. That, Ms. Cadey, is the Promise in all its glory. It’ll be your new home for the week or so it takes us to reach the Systems. Come on, you’ll have to meet the rest of the Crew.”   
He bounds up to the door of the Promise, slides the door open, and motions me inside.   
I take a deep breath, steady myself for the upcoming journey, and follow. 

The Ship before me is large and breathtaking. Technology from the past few decades beeps and lights up all around me. As an engineer, I’ve been exposed to almost every ship related technology invented, yet to see so many around me at the same time still takes my breath away. My fingers itch to stroke some of the keyboards, fidget with control panels, but I suppress this urge. Instead, I satisfy myself with a quick scan of every computer, trying to burn them into memory, before Jaxon leads me into the brig of the ship.   
Two strangers immediately leap to their feet when I arrive. One, a young man whose very presence commands respect, approaches me with blue eyes narrowed. The other, a pretty woman who looks like she could very easily flip me, gives me a polite nod.   
“Cadey, this is Orion and Nova. Orion is my Captain and Nova is the only person who can beat me at weight lifting,” Jaxon flexes his arm for emphasis.   
I flush with the embarrassment of meeting new people and turn to the Captain.   
“Shelley,” the Captain, Orion, extends his hand in greeting.   
“Cadey, nice to meet you,” I correct him and shake his hand before similarity greeting Nova.   
My hands fold in front of me and I clench my jaw if only to keep my teeth from clattering. Orion nods at me.   
“You’re the one who contacted Jaxon needing an escort away from Union officials. We don’t usually take a bodyguard position but Jaxon insisted on yours. Something about charity work and damsels in distress. From what I understand, you’re an engineer at the top of your class. We could use you,” Orion crosses his arms and waits for me to speak.   
I digest the information, turn it over in my head, and nod firmly. My hands clench at my sides to keep from shaking and I meet his gaze head on. I need to look confident before these people. If they realize I am seconds away from puking up my water glass because of their presence, they might change their minds. So, I raise my chin into something I hope looks totally brave.   
“Right, yeah, whatever you need, I’ll do.”   
I fish Pearl out of my pocket, tap her so that she projects my engineering degree, and nod at the crew. “I can code, repair things, and work around the ship. I’ll do anything you need as long as you get me to the Systems.”  
“Good. I’ll introduce you to our Pilot to get started on your work and then we’ll be on our way. The Union won’t be able to search for you on a private ship without a warrant,” Orion offers me a professional smile that eases some of the tension from my shoulders.   
He moves away from me, opens his mouth to indicate me to follow him-  
When the door next to me swings open.   
A figure emerges from the hallway with a large bottle of something in one hand and an old gaming system in the other. In his bid to win whatever game he is playing, he doesn’t see me.   
Time seems to slow down as he rams right into me. Cold liquid spills across the front of my shirt and drenches me. I catch a whiff of strong alcohol and ice.   
A light shriek leaves my lips and I turn scarlet. My entire face burns in embarrassment and my hands go to pull the drenched fabric of my shirt away from the skin it’s sticking to.   
“Hubble, I’m so, so sorry!”   
I begin to apologize, not quite sure it was even my fault, and manage to move Pearl away from the dripping mess of whiskey. If she gets any liquid on her, it’ll be a pain to fix. I hold her aloft and away from the spill and meet the eyes of the man that just collided with me.   
Immediately, I freeze.   
The entire room falls completely silent. The man before me, previously ready to swear a blue streak about spilling his drink, stops with his mouth open. I hear a strangled breath leave him before he clenches his jaw so suddenly that the teeth slam together and produce a loud, audible sound comparable to that of a thunder clap. The color drops from his face in shock and he backs away a step.   
I don’t realize what’s happening until I catch sight of his jacket sleeve. Above the inside of his wrist, light is emitting from his soulmate stamp.   
I open my mouth in shock, let out a whoosh of air, and lock up.   
The stranger blinks at me, recovers from his shock, and flushes with anger. Color blooms across his skin again and he spins on his heel.   
“Oh, hell!”  
His scream of anger and frustration ignites my own soulmate stamp. I feel something snap into place between us, linking us like a string, before he lets the empty bottle fall from his fist. It shatters into tiny shards and the sound reanimates the frozen room.   
The stranger sends me a glare colder than the drink he bathed me in and snarls a, “this is not happening”, before darting away.   
I watch the door clatter shut behind him and quiver.   
Silence reigns again for a very uncomfortable few seconds before the spectators to the ugly scene recover.   
Jaxon lets out a shrill whistle, eyes wide with shock, and nods at the soulmate stamp against my arm still glowing like a star.   
“Well, Cadey, you just met Atlas, our pilot, and, apparently, your soulmate.”


End file.
